Turn signal for vehicles



Nov. 20, 1951 J. D. JACKSON TURN SIGNAL FOR VEHICLES vFiled Dec. 2, 1949 INVENT OR o. VJACKSON,

ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 20, 1951 rURNfsroNAL Fon-VEHICLES nn-lraksongrnmmma Y Applfcatinnnemrer 2, y1949, serial No. 130,697

This invention relatesr to turn signals for vehicles and more particu]"arlyn to a turnv signal for automotivevehicles; such ras-automobiles and trucks.

It is among the" Objects of' the invention to -provide a turn signal mountable orrthe exterior `of a. vehicle and having' operating means disposedf Within thev vehicle so that; the. si'garial:y can be moved. to diffrent indi'catinzgV positions by the vehicle driver from within'. the vehicle and without having to: open a: vehicle window or expose 'himself to: drafts or" atmospheric precipitation; which signal is of large. size, andr easily visible both indaylight and at, night and can be. mcmfr-itedr on an. existing` vehicle with; no: material modification of the vehicle structure, which has operating means mountable. on the vehicle dash or instrumentv panel. convenient reach of the driver, and' which is. simple and durable in, construction, economicalto-manufacture; easy touse; andi neat andi attractivet in appearance.

Other objects andT advantages Will become. ap-

parent' from af-consderation. of the.- fo'llowinfg description and' the appended: claims in4 conjunc- 2 with the accompanying wherein:

Figure,- 1 is a side.. elevation` off' a. fragmentary [portion of arr automottvevehi'cle: showing a turn scale. on; the line. 3 3P of- Figure 2i.

Figure 4r is a crossl section on an enlarged' scale 'cnthe line tz-II of'Fi'gure. 2,. and

Figure 5 isanelevation of' a fragmentary por- 'ti'on. of the turn signal'V device illustrating strucitural' features of the device..

Withl continuedY reference. to the drawing, the improved turn signal device includes a. standard 'Ilattachable to a. vehicle forV upright disposition 'oni the outside of the vehi'clebelovc` the? vehicle windshield. asA clearly illustratedi in Figurer I. Ihis standard may taper from its l'ovvler' toits 'upper end -and have its lower end angularly disposed to receive 'a bolt I I Whichextends through V-the standard near the lower-end ofthe l'atterand through an' aperture inthe vehiclewall I2 and has a nutv I3" threaded" thereon Within the ve `l'xi'cl'eto rigidly'secure thelower end" of' the standa-rd I0 to the vehicle.- A second bolt |14 extends through the standard and' through the vehice wall I2 at a location above the bolt. Ifll and a tubular spacer sleeve I5 surrounds theL bolt- I4'.

2; Claims. (Cl-. 116-52?) between the standard' andf the outer sida ofi the vehicle Wall IZ' to space thek standard: outwardly from thevehi'cle Wall; a nutV it: berna threaded onto the bolt: llt Within the vehicle to; rigidly cTarr-zp the standard at this location tof the Wall of theY vehicle. The standar-df Hl. has' a bone eX- tend-ing longitudinally thereof from its smalleror upper endand a sl'end'eripost. I 'I is slidably mounted'- in the boreL of the standard IIL and; extends upwardly from' the stand'ar'd'f..L A set; screw t8 is threacledl tliroughv a screw threaded aperture in the standard nearthe upperfend` ofthe 'latter and engages the post lil! to lock the posti in adiusted position relative to the standard against both longitudinal and rotational? movements.`

its upper entfthe postl If'lf is providedl With an-l eyel |59@ and a pivot pin- '2'0 extends through this eye andI is journaled therein.

A bracket 2 Ilhas two spaced apart legs- 22 and '3 each provided' with anJ aperture and these apertures receive the pin 2B' al? the IBSDSC'GTWPY opposite sides of the eye' I9 on the post II to rotatably7V mount the bracket on lthe upper end of the post. The pin has on one end a head bearing1` against one' of these legs and? on its other 'end'I al nut" or0 Washer bea-ring against the other leg to* retainthe pin in operative association with thebracket 21E andL post II'. A lugl 24 is secured tol the bracket arms 22-` and 234- andI has an aperture extending l'ong-i-lJud-inallyv therethrough; "A bar 25- extends slidably through the aperture the lug- 2'4 and is locked in' adusted" position lrr the lug by' the set screws- 26 and: a semaphore arm 211 is secured' onto. the bar 25 at the side of the bracket remote from thel vehicle.

When thesigna-l device is operatively mounted on a vehicle: the axis of the pivotalf connection between the bracket 2i| and the post' II is. substantiallyf horizontal andiextends longitudinally et thevehicle so that'VA the sen'xaphorearmV 21 is angularly movable. in a substantially" vertical plane extending`v outwardly of the vehicles from theL post. If! and? standard It'tl: and. substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal, centen liney of the. vehicle.

This arm 2i' is a flat, thin-Walle@ body having. its majozfsurfacessubstantia-lly? verticallydisposed and having ai length and Width; sucient tzr-render it easily'visible either" in daylight on. at night. It may beL` suitably colored or coatm. to increase the visibility thereof and may:A be equipped with visual? indicatorsy such: as the light reflectorst 2%?, and Z9? mounted on. the rear side of thef semaphore armfV and: thee light reflecton at mountedi. onitha forwardl side. of: arm..

apertured blocks`3l and 32 are secured on one side of the arm and slidably receive the rod 25, the arm being secured in adjusted position on the rod by suitable set screws extending through screw threaded apertures in the blocks and bearing against the bar.

The arm may have an inoperative position in which it depends adjacent the post l1 and standard I0, as indicated in broken lines in Figure 2, and three operative positions in one of which it is inclined outwardly and downwardly from the post to indicate a left turn of the vehicle, in another of which it extends substantially horizontally outward from the top end of the post to indicate a stop of the vehicle and in the third of which it extends upwardly from the top of the post to indicate a right turn.

A limit stop abutment 33 is secured on the end of bar at the side of the bracket 2l opposite the semaphore arm 21 and contacts the side of "the post l1 when the semaphore arm is in its -bar carrying the limit stop member 33 but these angles are within ten or fifteen degrees of being right angles.

A slotted link is adjustably securedto the vdistal end of the' lever arm 31 by a screw 36 which extends through a longitudinally elongated slot in the link 35 and through an aperture in the lever arm 34 near the outer or distal end of the latter. This link 35 is provided-near one end with an aperture and a connecting rod 31 has at lone end an upset portion pivotally 'secured in the aperturenear the one end of the link 35. f I -The connecting rod 31 extends throughl an opening-38 made in the wall of the. vehicle adja- -cent the-bottom edge of the vehicle windshield 4and a sealing pad 39 is mounted on the outer .surface of the vehicle Wall and has an aperture therethrough slidably receiving the connecting -rod 31. The opening 38 in the vehicle wall is elongated in a generally vertical direction to accommodate lateral movement of the connecting rod 31 and the-sealing pad 39 is slidable on the outer surface of the vehicle wall longitudinally of this opening 38. A spring abutment V40 is secured on the rod at a location spaced outwardly from the pad 33 and a compression spring 4| between this abutment andthe pad .maintains the pad in sealing engagement with the outer surface of the wall ofthe vehicle cowl in which the opening 38 is provided.

The vehicle dash or instrument board 42 is :provided with an aperture 43 adjacent its end at the side of the vehicle at which the turn sig- :'-nal device is mountedA and a shaftV 44 extends through the aperture 43 from the inner to the outer side of the vehicle instrument board or instrument panel 42. The shaft 44 is journaled in a bearing sleeve 45 which is received in the aperture 43. A washer 46 secured on the shaft provides an abutment for one end of this bearing sleeve and a washer 41 surrounding the shaft bears against the opposite end of the bearing isleeve. a pad 48 of resilient material being interyso posed between the washer 41 and the outer side of the vehicle instrument panel 42. A hand crank 49 is secured on the shaft 44 at the outer side of the instrument panel 42 and a spacer 50 is interposed between this crank and the washer 41. The crank is secured on the shaft by a screw 5I which extends through the shaft receiving aperture in the crank and is threaded into a screw threaded Well in the corresponding end of the shaft. When this screw is tightened it applies pressure to the resilient pad 48 through the spacer 50 and washer 41 so that the shaft 44 is lrmly journaled in the instrument panel of the -vehicle A lever arm 52 is secured at one end to the .shaft 41 at the end of the shaft at the inner side ofthe instrument panel by a nut 53 threaded onto the shaft and the connecting rod 31 is pivotally connected to the outer or distal end of the lever arm 52.

With this construction rotation of the'crank 49 will rotatably move the lever arm 52 and this lever arm through the intermediacy of the connecting rod 31 will swing the semaphore arm 21 to the various positions described above.

The invention may be embodied in other speciiic forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered in al1 respects'as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.v

What is claimed is:

l. A turn signal for a; vehicle comprising a -standard attachable to'a vehicle for disposition in vsubstantially upright positionon the outside of the vehicle below the vehicle Windshield, said standard having a bore extending vdownwardly from the upper end thereof, a `post slidablyreceived in the bore of said standard and extending upwardlyfromthe latter, means locking said 4posty in adjusted position relative to said standard, a -bracket journaled on the upper end of' said Ypost for rotational movements about an axis substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal ceti'- Yter line of said post, a semaphore' arm'secu'red .at one end to said bracket and extending out'- wardly from one side of the latter, a limit stop member carried by said bracket at the side thereof opposite said semaphore arm and engageable with said post to limit upward movement of said arm to a substantially vertical position, a lever -arm extending radially from said bracket nearly at right angles to said semaphore arm, a, shaft rotatably mountable on the instrument panelof the vehicle, a hand crank on said shaft at the outer side of the instrument panel, a lever arm secured on the opposite end of said shaft and extending radially thereof, and a link connecting said lever arms and slidably extendable through a vehicle wall. i

2. A turn signal device for a vehicle compris..- ing a standard attachable to a vehicle for disposition in upright position on the outside of the vehicle below the vehicle windshield, said standard havinga bore extending longitudinally thereof from its upper end, a post slidably received in the bore of said standard and extending upwardly from the latter, a bracket journaled. on the upper end of said post ror rotational movements about auraxis substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal center line of the post, a bar secured to said bracket and extending to respectively opposite sides of the latter, a semaphore arm secured to said bar at one side of said bracket, a limit stop member secured to said bar at the opposite side of said bracket and engageable with said post to limit angular movements of said semaphore arm about the pivotal connection between said bracket and said post to a substantially vertical position, `a lever arm eX- tending radially from said bracket, ya slotted link adjustably secured to the distal end of said lever arm, a shaft rotatably mountable on the instrument panel of the vehicle, a hand crank secured on said shaft at the outer end of the instrument 15 5 latter.

J. D. JACKSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 10 :tile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,124,497 Menrad et al Jan. 12, 1915 1,311,418 Rowling July 29, 1919 1,864,062 Goodin June 21, 1932 

